FMC Says Solitaire Controls Ground Ivy Better Than Triclopyr

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – New research indicates that Solitare herbicide from FMC providesfaster and long-lasting control of ground ivy when pitted against industry standard triclopyr.

A study conducted in 2011 by Dr. David Gardner of The Ohio State University examined control of ground ivy (Glechoma hedereacea) on Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Gardner found that regardless of the rate, Solitare provided much better control of ground ivy early on (3, 7 and 14 days after treatment or DAT) and as good, if not slightly better, control later (28 and 60 days after treatment).

"With Solitare, not only do you get control that’s as good or better long-term but you get much more rapid control in the near term," explained Dr. Gardner.

Turfgrass professionals with both warm- and cool-season turf struggle with the weed. "Its cell walls break down rapidly, making it difficult to get a herbicide through the whole plant," said Gardner. "So it may not be as pervasive as dandelion or clover, but it’s much more difficult to kill."

As for timing of treatments, Gardner says there are two schools of thought. Professionals can 1) treat after the weed flowers in May, when the plant is weak from reproduction, or 2) treat in the fall, when weeds are actively translocating below ground causing the herbicide to get piggybacked up to the roots. According to Gardner, "Neither is bad; they both work."

Solitare is an all-in-one postemergence herbicide for crabgrass, sedges and more than 60 broadleaf weeds. It provides results three to five days after treatment, while also impacting the plant’s seeds, reducing its ability to reproduce in the current season and into the following season.